The Fire That Burns Forever
by everlark101
Summary: What would happen if the Quarter Quell was different. This time the District will choose which boy and which girl will represent District 12 in the 75th Annual Hunger Games. Her Games are over but the Fire within her still burns strong, and her every move drips with the promise of a Rebellion.
1. Chapter 1

I grip the small silver flask in my hand and even though I've been out in the woods for over an hour now I can still feel the warmth of the herbal tea my mother made especially for me creeping through my body. I don't know why I'm still out here I guess I just have nothing else to do now. I don't need to hunt to make sure sweet little Prim has a full belly now that we live in the Victors Village we can well afford to have at least 4 meals a day.

I get up from the rock I have been sitting on and shake my left foot around. I slide on a pair of grey woollen gloves with gold accents over my fingers stiff from the frozen air they have been exposed to. I pick up my bow and I run my hand over the smooth wood that has been polished to perfection. I'm very proud of my new bow it took me 2 months to make. It isn't as good as the one my Father gave to me but it will have to do. I'm still angry with myself for being so careless that one day and getting my bow destroyed.

It was the hottest day if the year by far and I was out in the woods beyond the safety of District 12 with Gale. We were really tired after a long day of hunting and our snares were not very bountiful with only a rabbit, I was annoyed because we had been out all day and had virtually nothing to show for it . Usually we caught more so we decided to make our way down to the lake where my father used to take me to fish. I stuck my hand inside the hollow log covered in a slimy green moss where Gale and I conceal our handmade fishing poles and grabbed them.

I noticed a mink scurrying about the rocks on the other side of the lake, my first instinct was to shoot it but Gale told me not to because there was no point getting wet just to retrieve a dead mink. Minks are notorious scavengers and will steal anything unguarded. But how was I to know that while we were fishing it would wander over to our side and take my bow of the log I had but it on only leaving my sheath.

I didn't even realise it was gone. But when I noticed I knew straight away that it was that mink and that it had probably dragged it off to its liar for further inspection.

* * *

But there's no point beating myself up about it what's done is done. I take the 20 minute trek up the hill to check my snares. The first one has nothing and neither does the second. But my third, fourth and fifth one are more successful with two rabbits and a large squirrel.

I always give half of what I catch to Hazel. Now that Gale is working in the mines I feel as if I have to do this for Hazel and for Gale. On the way back to the fence two wild turkeys cross my path, unlucky for them. When I get to the fence I have two wild turkeys, a squirrel and two rabbits.

I check for the hum of electricity but all I hear is some of the looser wires rattle back and forth in the icy wind. I slip under the fence and haul my leather hunting bad over my shoulder.

First I stop at Gale's house. Little Posie opens the door, and when she sees me a toothy grin appears on her little face. She knows when I come she will be getting food. Hazels at the sink peeling a few potatoes. She grins when she sees me and I hand her over one wild turkey, and the rabbits. I know she isn't as fond as squirrels as she is of rabbit so I give her both. She opens her arms for a embrace. I love how Hazel always smells like mint no matter what. She asks if I want to stay for something to eat but I decline. I give Posie a quick kiss on the cheek and ruffle Rory's hair as I leave.

The Hob is relatively quiet today so I get a good price from Sae for the wild turkey. And I trade Peetas father for a loaf of bread for a squirrel. I buy some thread for mother and a bag of sherbet lemons for Prim. I stop to talk to Delly for a while but it starts to snow so I make my way back to the Victors Village on the other side of town.


	2. Chapter 2

The Victors Village in District 12 has 12 pretty white houses all laid out in a semi-circle with a gorgeous green in the middle. But since it's March everything is covered in a thick layer of ice at least 5 inches deep and a light blanket of pure white snow. Only 3 houses are in use; Mine, Peeta's and Haymitch's.

Only Peeta and I's show any sign of life usually Prim lights a fire so a comforting soft light emanates from our house. Peeta's always smells like freshly baked bread. In fact he must be baking now because even from out here I can smell it. I love Peeta's baking, especially the delicious cheese buns he makes.

Peeta and I are trying very hard to mend our broken relationship and it's going well so far. The Victory Tour was hard though. Every day I try to make an effort to see him even though we can talk now it is really awkward making eye contact with him some times. I really hate myself for what I put him through in the Arena obviously I'm just better at pretending than I thought. I mean it's not like I don't have any romantic feelings for him at all because I do I just don't think he has those feelings for me anymore. Whenever we kissed on the Victory Tour my gut would do backflips and once I even got a warm fuzzy feeling but I'm nit sure he did.

I still can't stop thinking about what Haymitch said to me on the train coming back from the Games. I will have to marry him one day and I don't want to marry him, I don't want to marry anyone and I especially don't want kids. It's not fair to bring a kid into this world full of regret, fear and hunger. Even though I'm a Victor and I could afford to feed a child doesn't mean that they will be exempt from the Reaping and I could never do that to another human being, they are just to horrifying and even if you win you are never the same. I mean look at Peeta and I we are as messed up as they come.

I turn the gold handle on my grand oak door and I brush the snow that hasn't melted already off my hair. I slide of my father's leather hunting boots and hang my jacket on the hook behind the door. Before I put my boots into the cupboard I knock them against the wall to get all of the snow off of them; I know how much time Mother puts into keeping the house clean.

The fire has been on but it has long since been extinguished but the embers are still glowing and warm. "Prim" I shouts. I can hear the pattering of her feet on the floorboards above me.

"Sshh!" she whispers, "Mother is in bed with a terrible migraine and she feels awful!" she tells me.

"Is she okay, should I go back to the Hob and get something for her?" I ask Prim

"No, no it's fine I just gave her a fever pill and a spoon of migraine medicine, she should be fine"

I can't believe how grown up my little duck looks right now, I remember the terrified little 12 year old screaming for me at the Reaping's. Poor thing she had to grow up to fast sometimes I forget she is still only 13! "What would I do without you little duck?" I say softly I open my arms and she runs into them and I engulf her in a tight embrace. Her hair smells of bread. "Has Peeta been in to see you today?" I ask her

"Yes he left about five minutes before you came in" Prim informs me

"Did he now? What was he saying?"

"Well, he asks me if he can marry you!" she teases

"Prim, what did he really say?" I say a bit more sternly

"Not much he came in to give us some bread and a dozen cheese buns, and then he asked where you were!"

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him you were out at the Hob but you will be back soon!"

"Anything else?"

"Nope!" She says, "I'm going out to get some snow for mums temperature"

"No you are not I will any way I need to go see Peeta." Prim makes an unimpressed face

"Oh okay Katniss anyway I need to go sit with mum!" With that she turns and skips up the stairs and her blonde hair bobs behind her. Prim has so much affection for Mother. I'm trying hard to let her back into my life again. I amn't as hard on her anymore I don't blame her for her depression she was ill. It wasn't all her fault, I was terrible too when I came back from the Hunger Games all I would is sit in the kitchen all day long and sometimes I wouldn't move for hours and hours. Something my mother loved most dearly was snatched away from her. That's what happened to me too! First my father then Rue and in a way Peeta.

Then I see the cheese buns sitting in the middle of the table they are golden on top and they are still very warm. Before I venture out into the blizzard outside I nibble on the corners of a cheese bun. It tastes really good and I finish it in no time I want to have another but I remember what Cinna told me on the Tour, the Capitol don't like fat mentors oh yeah that's right.

I open the door and battle my way through icy gales and flusters of snow to reach Peeta's house. His house is warm and has a very cosy atmosphere As usual Peeta is standing in the kitchen baking. "Hey there baker!" I shout. He turns and faces me but I notice that his blonde hair is messier than usual and he has flour on his face. He looks really cute. Did I just say that Peeta looked cute? I have to admit that I miss Peeta with every bone in my body, I miss feeling his warmth next to me when I sleep and I miss him running his hands through my hair and caressing my back. I miss Peeta Mellark my boy with the bread.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for not updating in a while guys, I have been super busy. But I was stocked to see that there has been nearly 200 views of this story. It may not seem many but I'm happy. Hope you like this chapter and don't forget to R&R. I do not own the hunger games.**

A smile creeps onto his face and the corner of his lips, and his eyes light up. "Hey Katniss!" he whispers. He opens his arms and I run into them. I am surprised on how weak I am letting myself seem to him right now. We haven't hugged off camera since the Games and I have forgotten how comforting he is. I put my head on his chest and I listen to the steady pounding of his heart. Peeta is so reassuring and steadies me, he is my rock.

We stay like this for what seems like a blissful eternity, when he finally says "You don't know how much I have missed you Kat!"

"No I do because I miss you so much too!" I say softly. Kat I like this nickname, it's better than Catnip.

"Your hair smells nice Katniss" he says as he strokes my soft brunette braid.

"Really?"

"It smells of the woods!" He puts his face close to mine and for a second I thought he was going to kiss me, well he does but not where I want him to. He presses his soft lips to my temple and kisses me gently. I love it when he does that. "What was that for?" I ask him gently.

"I just wanted to, come and help me bake!" He clasps my hand and I lace my long fingers between his. I look into his beautiful blue eyes and nod my head.

Soon Peeta and I have made a huge mess in his kitchen and we are both covered in flour. I take some flour in my hand and blow it over time; it settles on his eyelashes and makes him look almost angelic. He does the same to me and covers my face in flour making my braid look white. We have a flour fight but we stop to take the cake we have baked out of the oven. It looks golden brown and beautifully risen. "Looks yummy, Prim will love it!" I tell him, and then I remember I was meant to get snow for mum. "Crap! Peeta I need to go!"

"Why what's wrong Kat?" he asks

"I was meant to get something for Prim!" I grab my jacket and run out of the door leaving a very confused looking Peeta standing alone in his kitchen. I see immediately that it has stopped snowing but it is at least 7 inches thick. I trudge through the snow and scoop up some snow and fling the door wide open and without wiping my shoes on the mat or closing the door I run up the stairs leaving a trail of snow behind me.

Prim is sitting on the stool Gale made next to mothers bed. She turns when she hears me come in. "Don't worry Katniss, I got the snow as soon as you left" she says quietly

"You did?"

"Yeah, I knew you would forget if you were with Peeta" I hate the way she puts emphasis on Peetas name but I don't say anything to her because I kinda owe her. "Thanks Prim! I forget how grown up you are sometimes".

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